Rinzaiji Temple, Shizuoka

Very well kept and beautiful tranquil place. The wood work is top tier. There is not a lot of walking around to do and is really just a quick visit and move on.

I will visit Rinzai-ji whenever I visit Shizuoka. It has a feeling of absolute peace, that only Zen Temples have. It has a beautiful garden, including some rock gardens. Just sit and enjoy the feeling for about half an hour. I first went because of its historical importance. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the man who united Japan and established the Tokugawa Shogunate was lodged in Shizuoka as a hostage for his family's good behaviour as a young boy and returned to Sumpu (Shizuoka) in his 'retirement' and built a huge castle in the center of town. It was at this temple that he was lodged as a young boy. He came of age at the more-frequently visited but less impressive, nearby Shrine.

Great place, very spiritual. Guide was incredible. Very detailed and full of facts. All in English. If given another chance I would definitely come back and visit the place. The only thing you must remember you will not be allowed every time. Research beforehand.

There are special public openings twice a year. I didn't know this and went to worship on a closed day. It is usually a training temple. I found out that there would be a public opening three days later, so I went again. The Marishiten statue can only be seen when the temple is open to the public. It was apparently moved here from Sengen Shrine. Rinzai-ji Temple has a small room called the "Study Room" where Tokugawa Ieyasu is said to have studied. There is a staircase that is said to have remained from that time. It is said that Ieyasu may have walked here as well. I was able to see a historic building, get a sense of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the garden was beautiful, allowing me to see rare things that are not usually on display.

It's open to the public two days a year, in spring and autumn. We only saw the exterior. [Explanatory Sign] Rinzai-ji Temple Rinzai-ji Temple was the Ondaiji Temple of Imagawa Yoshimoto's older brother, Ujiteru. It was founded by Yoshimoto's military strategist, Elder Taira no Sessai, who welcomed his teacher, Zen Master Daikyu, to the temple. Sessai was a man of great wit and sagacity in the tatami room (the place where military meetings were held) as Yoshimoto's regent. Yoshimoto's bravery in the East China Sea as governor of Suruga, Totomi, and Sanpo was largely due to Sessai's influence, and this period also marked the height of the Imagawa clan's prosperity. Tokugawa Ieyasu, from the age of eight in 1549 (Tenbun 18) during the Takechiyo era, spent 12 years as a hostage of the Imagawa clan, learning both the arts and martial arts from Taira no Sessai. It can be said that the foundation for Ieyasu's later rule of the country and the 300-year Tokugawa reign was cultivated during this childhood. Yukinari passed away on October 10, 1555, at the age of 60. Five years after Yukinari's death, in May 1560, when Yoshimoto was defeated and killed in the Battle of Okehazama, the power of the Imagawa clan rapidly declined and eventually fell. It can be said that the Imagawa clan rose through Yukinari, and then declined after his loss. At the top of the temple grounds' cemetery are the remains of Lord Ujiteru and the head priest Yukisai.